BlackBerry London – RIMs First BBX Device Leaks in a Photo?

While Research In Motion (RIM) has been very clear that handsets running the BBX operating system – a newer version of QNX that powers the BlackBerry PlayBook – are coming, they have been very coy as to when we can expect them or what they may look like. If a leaked image that surfaced earlier today is to be believed, they’ll be unlike any other BlackBerry we’ve ever seen.

The Verge received an image of what is reported to be a new device currently codenamed “BlackBerry London“. The anonymous source says that it is sporting a dual-core Texas Instruments processor running at 1.5GHz, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of onboard storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel shooter on the front. They went on to say that the London is currently slated for a June 2012 release, but they did not indicate if this will be the first handset released with BBX or possibly one slated as a later device. As for dimensions, it is said to be thinner than the iPhone 4 and similar in size to a Samsung Galaxy S II, but due to the number of different phones out under that name now, it’s difficult to say which one they meant.

We have to agree with The Verge that this does have more than a passing resemblance to the BlackBerry P’9881 designed by Porsche, so that may mean this is another limited edition handset. There is also every chance this is a concept or prototype that will never make it to market, nut seeing at least some taste of the operating system is the important issue here. With the company struggling as of late, it needs something big to happen to reinvigorate itself, and from first glance, if this is how it will really look, BBX may just do that.

What do you think of the physical design of the BlackBerry London as well as the first possible look at BBX?